


Deadline

by naboru



Category: Transformers Generation One
Genre: Comedy, Crack, Gen, Pre-War, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-22 09:03:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11376972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naboru/pseuds/naboru
Summary: Vortex has a problem, Brawl is busy, and so Blast Off has to help him.





	Deadline

**Author's Note:**

> **Continuity:** G1 Dysfunction AU, pre-war  
>  **Disclaimer:** Sadly, nothing is mine.  
>  **Beta:** ultharkitty

Vortex stood in front of Blast Off’s apartment and rearranged the box under his arm. It became heavier every klik, and he’d already carried it the whole way. The shuttle better open the door soon.

He pinged Blast Off again, just in case, and finally, he could hear rustling behind the door. It slid aside with a soft “woosh” and opened to Blast Off looking blankly at him.

“What do you want?”

“Well, good afternoon to you too,” Vortex said with a grin, and hoped it wasn’t too antagonising.

Blast Off sighed. “It’s not afternoon, it’s late evening at the weekend.” He leaned with his shoulder against the doorframe. “And you are not in a bar, but show up with a box in front of my door. What do you want?”

Vortex shifted his weight from one foot to the other. The shuttle knew him too well already. “Uh, well… I need your help.”

Blast Off frowned, looking at the box. “That’s not a body in there, is it?”

“What? No!”

The shuttle’s frown deepened. “Body parts?”

“No!” Vortex insisted, and he felt really insulted. “Who do you think I am?”

Blast Off’s mouth opened, his expression telling enough already, and Vortex added quickly, “Okay, don’t answer that. But no, it’s nothing illegal and stuff… I… well, it’s my taxes.”

Blast Off kept staring. He took his time to reply, and eventually said, “You want me to do your taxes.” It wasn’t a question.

“Uh… kinda.”

“Kaon counsel only wants a tax report every fourth vorn, and the next period is isn’t for twenty quartex.” Blast Off’s suspicion was audible and made Vortex nervous. He really needed the shuttle.

“I, uh… I got a letter a while back that I have to hand in my missing reports.”

“Missing reports? How many are there?” If Blast Off frowned any deeper, his optics would crack from the force of his ridges.

“From the last two vorns?” 

Blast Off’s optics flared, and Vortex had the urge to run. Maybe this hadn’t been a good idea after all.

“I don’t need to do them so regularly, you see? I mean, Ons pays the counsel and stuff and OnsCorps employees have some sort of… lax-not-tax regulations and it’s not that I don’t pay taxes at all. Ons keeps and transfers the amount I have to pay for taxes so I don’t forget-“

“You mean so you don’t spend it and forget to put it aside,” Blast Off interrupted, and Vortex knew he was right. That didn’t mean he’d had to agree.

“ _So I don’t forget_ -“ Vortex repeated his last words and continued, “and usually I pay Brawl for it, but-“

“Brawl?” Blast Off shifted and stood straight again. The air of disbelief around him. “You pay _Brawl_ to do your taxes?”

“Usually, yes,” Vortex shrugged. This box really was heavy. Stupid datapads. “But he doesn’t have time. Said something about a ‘cuddly couple evening’ with Euphic – his words, I swear. Euphic’s favourite soap opera has a marathon tonight or whatever. So-“

“So Brawl can’t help you tonight. And why can’t he help you later?”

Now came the tricky part, Vortex thought, and flicked his rotors for a distraction – which Blast Off looked right through. Stupid shuttle knowing so much about rotaries… “I, uh, need to hand them in the day after tomorrow.”

Blast Off stared.

Vortex stared back.

“The day after tomorrow?” The air of disbelief became like tar, then Blast Off sighed. “Why don’t you just kidnap a tax consultant and let them do the work?”

Vortex’s optics widened behind his visor. That was an idea. Why didn’t he think of that?

And Blast Off seemed to realise that Vortex liked his suggestion and was actually considering it, because he quickly continued. “Don’t think about it.” He sighed once more. “If you do it’ll be my fault when you eventually land in prison.”

“Well, you know I can silence people permanently, so your idea is-“

“Shut up and get inside.” Blast Off stepped aside.

Vortex hurried in before the shuttle changed his mind. The door closed behind him.

“You owe me for this,” Blast Off grumbled as he went to get two cubes of high grade.

Vortex grinned.


End file.
